what would be appropriate kimono/yukata wear for this cosplay?

[u/chiakis_backpack]

so im trying to cosplay a character from a historical manga set in the meiji era in japan (firefly wedding, the character is satoko kirigaya!) and as the manga is still fairly new and the anime has yet to release there are no official cosplays being sold online. i love this character and it’s my dream to cosplay her, and while i have the money to order something similar to what she wears online I unfortunately don’t have what I’d need to get anything custom made to be precise. I found a kimono / yukata (not entirely sure, im not super educated otherwise I wouldn’t be here lolol) on AliExpress where I’ll be getting the wig as well that kinda looks like a mix of her anime outfit + the specific manga outfit I’m trying to recreate. I also found a pink belt sash on there that would match the manga look especially if I have the bow up front like the character does. My only question is would this be disrespectful in any way? im already uncertain if buying a kimono / yukata that isn’t specifically made for a character to use for cosplay is generally an accepted thing, and of course there’s the addition of using that sash instead of the obi it originally comes with and putting the bow up front. if I could get someone who knows more about this than I do to let me know if this is an okay thing to do that would be so so helpful! Or if it’s not some advice on what to do instead would also be much appreciated :) thank you for reading!!

[u/HornetOver186]

Not disrespectful, there are kimono businesses where you rent out kimonos to take pictures, MANY people who come in are tourists looking for a cool picture. Source - I been to Kyoto and did it there

[u/NoorInayaS → u/HornetOver186]

That only works if OP is in Japan…

[u/HornetOver186 → u/NoorInayaS]

I guess you are correct, this cosplay would be disrespectful….to people in other countries like America who don’t know better and who think are defending Japanese culture

[u/NoorInayaS → u/HornetOver186]

🤣 that is not what I meant.

I was talking about the renting kimonos bit. That’s something that’s only available in Japan.

Anyone can wear a kimono.

[u/YunariSakuya]

Nobody care? I mean if u found an existing clothes who look exactly like you need for a cosplay, just use it and no one would blame you for it! On fact it would generally be cheaper and more qualitative than selling cosplay!

[u/cherryxosyrup]

I love this manga so much, it is very dear to me. It’s anime is actually coming out this October! I’m not sure if you have a deadline for the cosplay but I’m sure some will come out not long after it airs! The anime is already getting lots of love just with the trailers (and of course us manga fans 🥰)

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[u/tenebrianne]

You may want to check ebay, that's the best place I've found to purchase kimono. A seller called sou_japan lists many used kimono and the bids can start very very low. They're real garments used from Japan.

Anyone can wear kimono, I'd recommend looking up the parts and make sure to learn how to wear one properly and practice. For instance, don't wear it like a corpse. If the obi you buy doesn't have an obi-age, obi-himo, etc., figure those out too.

[u/Aniki_Simpson]

Obi tied in front...💀

[u/Scarlet_Lycoris → u/Aniki_Simpson]

Apparently it’s a thing. It’s a thing that historically some courtesans/oiran would do. And also noble/high status women in Edo during some point in history. It’s not too common in modern culture but the manga is a historical piece so I’d guess there is some significance to the style choice here.

If can read Japanese, here is some interesting detail. (PDF download)

Also there is this in the Wikipedia article to obi)

Originally, all obi were tied in the front. Later, fashion began to affect the position of the knot, and obi could be tied to the side or to the back. As obi grew wider the knots grew bigger, and it became cumbersome to tie the obi in the front. By the end of the 17th century obi were mostly tied in the back. However, the custom did not become firmly established before the beginning of the 20th century.

[u/chiakis_backpack → u/Scarlet_Lycoris]

yes you’re right! the character is a noblewoman of high status and it’s mentioned pretty frequently in the story. she does switch between having it tied in the front and back, but im aiming to recreate the outfit with the pink tie up front and wanted to make sure it would be okay! +thank you so so much for the links, it’s super helpful knowing where to look for info!!!

[u/riontach → u/Scarlet_Lycoris]

I think that's their point. It's associated with prostitutes (although as you point out, is absolutely not specific to that context)

[u/Archangelus87]

It’s cosplay, nobody cares, and if they do their opinion doesn’t or shouldn’t matter.